HARTFORD, April 4, 2012: Connecticut Whale general manager Jim Schoenfeld announced today that a pair of forwards, and New York Ranger draftees, Christian Thomas and Shane McColgan, have joined the Whale.
Thomas, chosen in the second round (40th overall) by the parent club Rangers in the 2010 NHL Draft, was reassigned by the Rangers to the Whale from the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. In 55 games with the Generals this season, his fourth in the OHL, Thomas, a 5-9, 170-pound native of Toronto, registered a team-high 67 points, including 34 goals, which tied for the team lead, along with 12 penalty minutes. He also notched four points in six playoff games, with two goals and two assists. Thomas, who is the son of long-time NHL stalwart Steve Thomas, had a 54-goal season with the Generals in 2010-11, finishing second in the OHL in that category, and he also added 45 assists for a total of 99 points that year, sixth-best in the league.
In 244 career OHL games with the Generals and London Knights, the 19-year-old Thomas has amassed totals of 137 goals and 120 assists for 257 points, along with 91 PIM. He agreed to terms on an NHL contract with the Rangers May 19, 2011.
McColgan, a fifth-round selection (134th overall) by the Rangers in 2011, has been signed to an Amateur Tryout (ATO) agreement by the Whale, from the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. In 70 games with the Rockets this season, the 5-9, 170-pound Manhattan Beach, CA native scored 18 goals and added 46 assists for 64 points, leading the Kelowna club in points and assists, while serving 85 minutes in penalties. In four WHL postseason games, the 19-year-old McColgan had two assists.
McColgan has played three full seasons, and part of a fourth, with the Rockets, totaling 65 goals and 137 assists for 202 points, along with 196 PIM, in 212 games.
The Whale’s next action is a home game at the XL Center this Friday night, April 6 vs. the Manchester Monarchs. Five-thousand fans at that game will take home a free Whale team poster, courtesy of AT&T the Real Yellow Pages. There is also a special Friday-night food combo deal available, as a hot dog and a 12-ounce soda can be purchased for only $5. Faceoff is 7:00 PM.
Tickets to all 2011-12 Whale home games are on sale now at the Public Power Ticket Office at the XL Center, as well as on-line at www.ctwhale.com and through TicketMaster Charge-by-phone at 1-800-745-3000.
Save on your tickets, and get the best seats, with a ticket plan for the Whale’s 2011-12 AHL campaign, which are on sale now. For information on season seats and mini plans, visit www.ctwhale.com, or call the CT Whale ticket office at (860) 728-3366 to talk with an account executive today.
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